Jerry LaVaute Omnibus week of April 26

The following was posted by The View staff reporter Jerry LaVaute:

It ain’t braggin’ if it’s true…
I had a very productive week. I submitted 13 pieces for publication, including five news stories, four photo stories, three feature stories and one column. Got a nice attaboy from my boss, too.

I was especially proud of editing a couple of 30- to 45-minutes of video down to two movies, that each last about three minutes. And the result looks reasonably professional.

Current projects
I interviewed Rod Hill, a Milan resident since 1978, about a project on which he’s working called Sunset Point, across from Milan’s City Hall. It’s a pretty site, with especially pretty sunsets.

Later this week, I will bring my golden retriever Maisie to the “Bark for Life” event at Riggs Park in Belleville. Maisie’s skittish, so I’ll have to retain firm hold of my camera as I cover the story.

This event precedes another in Belleville on May 15 called the Relay for Life, a 24-hour event at the Belleville High School track that begins that morning at 10 a.m. Sounds interesting.

Later this week, I will attend a “Cinco de Mayo” evening sponsored by the Friends of Animal Rescue, about which I did a story a few weeks ago.

On Monday, GE is holding a press conference with Governor Granholm and Senator Levin to announce that its plans to hire 1,100 workers for its new technology site in Van Buren Township is ahead of schedule. In fact, it will announce that it now plans to hire 200 more workers than originally planned, for a total of 1,300 new jobs in the area.

Other
In the Sumpter Township Board meeting last night, I learned about Leonard Rochon, a longtime resident and community supporter who passed away a few days ago.

Mr. Rochon came in for some very high praise from residents and officials at the meeting. I never met the man, but I found myself wishing I had.

I heard from a neighbor yesterday that VBT Police Captain Greg Laurain had had a heart attack – I wish him a speedy recovery. The neighbor said that Laurain was expected to return to work in a few days.

Last Friday, my son Matthew and I traveled to South Bend, Indiana for Notre Dame’s Blue Gold game, their final scrimmage of spring football practice.

I had a great time – the visit to Sacred Heart Basilica and the nearby Grotto alone was worth the trip.

The rest was frosting on the cake, including a team that encouraged me for their chances in the fall. But there’s no use rushing it – time to enjoy the spring and summer first.